October 28, 2012

Comfort For The Infants - Baby Sleepsacks



Babies need to sleep for a long duration every day- almost 16 hours. During sleep, these toddlers need to feel cozy and secure, so that they can sleep peacefully and also not disturb their parents from time to time. For a comfortable sleep, companies have come up with Baby sleepsacks, suited for infants up to the age of 3 years.

A baby sleeping bag can be considered as an ideal baby shower gift. Parents are sure to feel thankful to the person gifting this bag, when they see their baby sleeping soundly. The sleeping bags are available in different colors such as dream blue, khaki, white, cookies and cream and dream pink, which are sure to excite the babies. Three different sizes, namely small, medium and large are also available.

These bags are cocoon shaped, making it convenient for the babies to get in. Babies can wear these bags over regular sleep wear, and do not need to change into any special clothes. Sleeping sacks are lined with quilt from the inside, to keep the infants warm, especially during winter. The material used for making these bags is cotton, which makes it easy for the infants to breathe comfortably.

The baby sacks can be washed inside out in the machines, with similarly colored clothes. Care must be taken not to bleach or iron these. The recommended room temperature is 20-23 degrees C, and the sleeve length of the bag can be adjusted accordingly. Shoulder snaps help the baby to easily wear the bag. Even if infants fall asleep early, they can easily be slipped into the sacks, with the convenient shoulder snap design.

In the past, parents would cover their infants with heavy blankets, to protect them from cold. However, one would often come across stories of babies being suffocated by these blankets, and this problem is known as SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Parents would often not realize the reason for their baby's death, until they found out about this problem. With the advent of light weight sleeping bags, this problem has now been solved, with no blankets to kick off.

By kicking off lightweight blankets, babies may also injure themselves by hitting their limbs into the bars of the crib. Sleeping bags also protect infants from these injuries. It is natural for babies to feel restless at this age, and so adequate room has been provided inside these sacks for moving feet.

Baby sleepsacks, or wearable blankets, are neither too heavy nor too light, so that the infants feel comfortable while wearing these.

October 21, 2012

Why I Love Modern Cloth Nappies

There are so many different reasons why I simply love modern cloth nappies. I remember when I was first introduced to them, going back a few years, and I thought there is no way that I will ever want to use them.

I considered them to be rather dirty and hard to use, but after having tried them for myself I soon grew to appreciate them and have now gone into selling them for myself. I would not sell a product unless I truly believed it worked and would save people money.

There are a few myths about modern cloth nappies that most people think.

Firstly, people think they are hard to use. This is not true, they are actually very easy to use, especially the new styles. These have a pocket design and you simply place the liner inside the pocket and your ready to go. No more using nasty pins that might hurt your baby. These designs are so easy, to use, because they are fully adjustable from birth right up till potty training. The adjustable size modern cloth nappies use a pop button design and have 3 rows going across the nappy which you use to reduce the size of the nappy to fit a newborn baby. As your little ones grows you simply adjust these pop buttons to be larger. The liners will fit from birth right up so there is no need to buy any more liners. You may find that when your baby is first born you will need less liners, but as your baby grows you can always add more to your pocket nappies.

Secondly, people think that modern cloth nappies are going to be messy and hard to clean. They are actually very easy to clean, once the baby has soiled the nappy you simply flush it down the toilet. If the outer layer is dirty you rinse it under water and put it into a dry pale ready for washing. If you find your baby is not doing hard soils, you can also put a flushable liner inside the nappy which will catch most the waste. You then simply flush that down the toilet and rise the outer layer. They are probably just as easy to clean as a normal disposable nappy.


October 14, 2012

Advantages of Packing Light When Travelling With a Baby



When I gave birth to my daughter a few years ago, I would usually find myself loading up her diaper bag with so much more stuff than she ever really used during our trips. Like many other moms, I figured it was better to always bring along a few extras rather than be caught unprepared for any situation.

However, it didn't take long for me to get really tired of carrying such a big and heavy diaper bag all the time, even if I was just going to do some grocery shopping with my baby. Besides, the time that it took for me to pack all those things was just too long. That was when I began to make some adjustments on how I packed my baby's diaper bag.

First of all, I had to train myself to stop being so paranoid every time I had to leave the house with my child, which I now realize is something that many other new mothers are also guilty of. Of course we need to bring certain things but it's really very improbable that a 2-month-old would need 5 diaper changes or consume 3 bottles of milk during a 30-minute trip downtown.

As soon as I was able to change my way of thinking, I was able to reduce the usual contents of my baby's diaper bag to half of what I used to bring, and I am still able to carry everything that my baby needs during our time outside the house.

One of the obvious advantages of learning how to pack light for baby is that I am no longer as exhausted from carrying around such a heavy weight. If my shoulders could talk, they probably would have thanked me endlessly.

Another advantage is that I can now use some of those really cute and chic diaper bags that have come out in the market in recent years. Before, I was stuck with nondescript bags that were not stylish at all because those were the only kinds that I could find that were big enough to carry everything that I thought I needed to bring.

My daughter is now in school and doesn't need a diaper bag anymore but I am expecting another baby really soon. Now that I know better, I opted to get smaller but more stylish diaper bags, which are quite the trend these days anyway, so I didn't have any problem looking for ones that I really like.


October 7, 2012

Different Types of Diaper Bags to Choose From



The list of things that need to be bought before a baby is born is quite long, as any expectant mother knows. Some of the items on this list are absolute essentials while others are optional. Some are big ticket items that you really need to save for while others can be purchased quite easily.

One of the most important items that should never be forgotten in this list is a diaper bag. Contrary to what its name suggests, a diaper bag contains so much more than just diapers. It is also meant to carry the baby's clothes, feeding bottles, formula, toys, bibs and so many more. As a matter of fact, a good diaper bag should be able to contain everything that a baby needs whenever leaving the house.

Just a couple of decades ago, there was basically just one kind of baby bag that you could buy. This was the rectangular-shaped shoulder bag that came in either pink or blue, usually decorated with baby prints - rattles, ribbons, booties, and other such cutesy patterns.

These days, some people still like buying these traditional bags but most parents are looking for something more modern and stylish. Fortunately, diaper bag manufacturers have already responded to this demand and so there are now many different types of diaper bags that new parents can choose from. Of all the styles available, there are three that currently stand out: tote bags, backpacks and sling bags.

Diaper tote bags are probably the most fashionable, usually resembling the most fashionable designer handbags. In fact, there are many designer brands of diaper tote bags for the hip mom. Without a doubt, these are the trendiest baby bags that you can buy. The only problem is that they don't have a lot of compartments so it's possible for the baby's stuff to get all jumbled up inside the bag.

Backpack-style baby bags are also very popular because they work not only for moms but for dads as well. They are also very easy to carry around because your hands can be kept free, plus they also have many pockets and compartments for organizing your baby's things.

Finally, sling bags are the newest craze when it comes to diaper bags. They look a lot like messenger bags, which make them suitable for dads who don't want to use those traditional pastel-colored diaper bags. Sling bags also have several compartments for easy storage.


October 1, 2012

How Did Baby Get His Yeast Infection?



Babies can be susceptible to yeast infections particularly in the mouth which is known as oral thrush and around the nappy area causing nappy rash. The symptoms of these two common yeast infections in babies are:

1) Oral thrush (or oral Candidasis)

Oral thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth, palate and tongue areas. Symptoms include thick, white patches on top of a red base. You can confuse these patches for milk curds but they cannot be removed like milk. Oral Thrush can be painful and makes it difficult for baby to suck. In addition to the distinctive lesions, infants can become irritable and may have trouble feeding.

Oral thrush occurs quite commonly in babies. However it will often go away by itself without treatment. It usually gets better on its own within 2 weeks. Oral thrush in babies may be transferred during breast-feeding. The yeast passes to and from the breast and the infant's mouth repeatedly, so it is advisable that, if required, that both mum and baby are treated with prescribed medications or natural remedies. Make sure that everything you use for baby is safe.

2) Nappy Rash

Nappy rash is often but not always caused by a yeast infection. The symptoms include a moist painful red rash in the nappy area including the genitals of boys and girls and the area around their back passage and the surrounding skin. It may also extend over their buttocks, groin area and upper thighs and infants become irritable. Thrush originates as small red spots which increase in number and then form into a solid red blotch. Sometimes there are little white spots associated with nappy rash caused by yeast, especially on the mucous membranes.

Nappy rash is extremely common - a lot of babies have this at one time or another. It is certainly not a sign of carelessness on the caregiver's part, but much can be done to reduce or prevent it. Often nappy rashes clear up quickly on their own or with home treatments. However anti-fungal creams or natural antifungal remedies are required to treat nappy rash if it is caused by a yeast such as Candida albicans. If home treatment does not cure the rash within a few days, consult a doctor or a mid wife.

The main cause of nappy rash is wetness from contact with wee and poo in a nappy. When the skin barrier is damaged or irritated the yeast which usually reside on baby's skin can overgrow and infection is established. Nappy rash can be caused by other factors. Baby may develop allergies to skin products such as a certain brands of nappies or nappy wipes.

Some tips which help to prevent nappy rash and reduce the chance of baby developing a yeast infection are

* Keep baby's bottom clean and dry with frequent nappy changes
* Try different types of nappies to see which ones seem to suit baby best
* Avoid baby wipes where possible -use a warm moist cloth
* Leave baby nappy free for a play after every nappy change
* Expose the bottom to sun for a short period each day
* Apply a protective cream, such as zinc and castor oil cream after each nappy change. (If your baby's rash is caused by thrush, don't use a barrier cream or ointment, as this can make the rash worse)
* Avoid soaps on the baby's skin, especially perfumed soaps. Water is best for baby's skin.
* It is recommended to avoid talcum powder as it does not give protection against nappy rash and may even lead to friction which irritates your baby's skin.
* Be careful with laundering reusable nappies - remove soil, wash in hot water, use baby approved detergents and dry the sun
* Fasten nappies loose enough so that there's room for air to circulate round baby's bottom.

How did my baby get a yeast infection?

The first question a lot of mum's ask is "How did my baby get a yeast infection?" Thrush is most commonly caused by Candida albicans which is a yeast normally resident in the vagina of 80-90 % of women. A large number of women will have vaginal thrush at least once during their lives and many women will often experience reoccurences of vaginal thrush regularly. Because of its natural habitat, most babies are exposed to Candida albicans and other normal bacterial flora which reside in the vagina during birth.

Most babies are colonised by yeast and other normal flora shortly after birth. The other normal flora on the body keeps the yeast in check by competing for space and nutrients. In that way the yeast is prevented from overgrowing and establishing the yeast infection. It is not necessary for the mother to have a current yeast infection for transfer of yeast from mother to baby to happen. A yeast infection is more likely to develop in babies taking antibiotics. That's because the antibiotics kill the good bacteria that normally keep yeast in check.

In summary yeast infection, commonly known as thrush, is relatively common in babies. Babies are colonised from their mums during the birth process and the yeast infection can be transferred from mum to baby to mum, so treatment of both babe and mum may be required. The two most common forms of yeast infection in babies are oral thrush and nappy rash. Thankfully neither of these infections are serious but baby will become irritable due to the discomfort they experience. Many mothers would like to treat their baby with nutural cures. If you are one of these mothers you may need to do a little research to establish what would be best for your baby.